The 2011 Power X-Travaganza!

Hey kids.

You might notice, things are a bit different this time. No inspirational thoughts, no awards, no memes, no previews.  That’s because this week, we take things to the next level.  Since May, I’ve been writing my Power X column, and I’ve been blessed by the absolutely awesome response it has gotten, both from wrestlers and the fans.   All in all, I managed to do fifteen columns over the course of 2011, and I had a blast writing each and every single one.  I even had a blast getting some of my colleagues involved.  The guest awards were always a highlight of the column, and often derived the most discussion.

To me, each Power-X serves as a snapshot, a single frame in the ever-changing landscape of the greatest female professional wrestling company on the planet.  If you read one Power-X to the next, you’ll notice the ebb and flow, as wrestlers move up and down, based on their successes and setbacks.  Throughout the course of the year, or even just a couple of months, it’s almost fascinating to watch the landscape change.  The top 10 of January 1, 2012 looks very very different than the top 10 of May 1, 2011, the first column that was posted.

So, welcome everyone to the Power X-Travaganza.  I’ve done one of these before, and I think it’s an absolute treat to write, and hopefully to read.  Because today, its not about the moment, but the overall course of the year.  Who had the best year? Who accomplished the most?  Who had the highest highs, and who had the lowest lows? 

Using the finest computer technology available to me (Microsoft Excel), I have created a formula to analyze the process of the numerous women that passed through the FFW gates over the past year, based on a simple points system.  This rewards success, longevity, and consistency, three very key traits that are essential to any pro wrestling career.

Since the Power-X carries a varying number of wrestlers on a week to week basis, I decided that these rankings would be based on the top 25 (since the top 25 are the ones essentially highlighted in my column).  Therefore, to make the end of year rankings, you must have placed in the top 25 at least once.  Of the 80 wrestlers that appeared in the Power X at one point or another, 26 of them never got into the top 25, for various reasons (either because they weren’t here long enough to get that high, or they sucked.  Or both).  We immortalize those individuals here:

Allison Deas, Amber Cross, Angel Kash, Charity Deas, Destiny Loveheart, Deven Knight, Elizabeth Showtime, Faith, Gia Van Zant, Jen Saint, Jessica Boyette, Kadence Wesson, Kimberly Aries, Lightning, Lilah Carter, Madison Knight, Mindy Smyth, Nina Battleheart Astral, Sarah Richardson, Skye Estrada, Sophia Black, Stephanie Sullivan, Syd Ashley, Tabatha Belmont, Traci Loveheart, Victoria Summers

If you’re name appears there, tough noogies.  Better luck next year.  Hope you do better.  Now go cry somewhere else.

That leaves fifty-four wrestlers who did get points, and as usual here in the Power-X, we count them down in reverse order.  So if you haven’t gone to the bathroom yet, this would be a great time to pause.  After all, it’s a long way to the top, and I’m not pulling this column over for ANYTHING!  Here we go!

#53 (tie)- MICHELLE TAYLOR (2 points)

The Good: She actually got points.  24^th.  In the very first Power X.  You should have seen who was below her.

The Bad: Pretty much every other aspect of her tenure here.

Yes, it’s a sad state of affairs that Michelle Taylor actually managed to get on this, especially considering some other people listed above.  Still, Michelle did have a brief reign with the Television Championship earlier in the year.  Sadly for Taylor, her annoyance of Samantha Star led to her undoing, and she was spectacularly bounced from the company thanks to an absolutely brutal beatdown from both Camilla Pazzini and Rose Jenkins. 

#53 (tie)- ALYSSON GARDNER (2 points)

The Good: Stealing a win in spectacular fashion over Sophia Black in her debut.

The Bad: Being pinned by Summer at Violent Night

Now, hang on.  Before someone gets the shotgun, let me be the first to say that there is no way in HELL that I would ever compare Alysson Gardner with Michelle Taylor.  Michelle was a waste of space who took advantage of a weak initial field to get on here, while Alysson is a hardworking, talented, beautiful woman who’s working her way up the FFW rankings, but didn’t have enough time to climb higher.  You can bet your ass that when the 2012 X-Travaganza comes out, Alysson is going to be a LOT later on in the column.

#51 (tie)-  CARA STONE (3 points)

The Good: Winning back-to-back Future Shock Competitions

The Bad: CARA SMASH!

Cara’s another one who has really just begun in FFW, but shows great promise to have a fantastic year in 2012.  With a limitless supply of energy, and an army of Care-Bears at her back, is there really any doubt that Cara Stone is due for some pretty big things?

#51 (tie)- ARIANNA MILLAR (3 points)

The Good: Winning the Unity Tag Team Championship in her very first FFW match.

The Bad: Pretty much got her ass handed to her by Nikkii Spainhower every step of the way over in SVW.  Then had the audacity to blame it on me.

Most people thought that Desirae Kain was out of her mind when she chose the Pink Princess as her tag team partner.  Instead, we promptly got a breakthrough tag team who dethroned the Eternal Flame in their very first match!  Of course, that means the usually bubbly Arianna now has an enormous target on her back.  How she manages to survive the bullseye remains to be seen.

#50- ARABELLA DE ROSSI (5 points)

The Good: After being knocked off her pedestal in Future Shock’s bikini joust, Arabella went, well, nuts.  She climbed back up, and began what turned out to be a month and a half long asskicking of poor Hanna Elliot.

The Bad: The number of fines and reprimands FFW has received from ESPN’s standards and practices has to be mind-boggling.

There’s likely better wrestlers in FFW, but you’d be hard pressed to find one more maniacally violent than this former model from Italy.  Arabella arrived in the fourth season of Future Shock, and quickly gained a nasty reputation, albeit one she couldn’t capitalize with entirely, falling to Desirae Kain in the finals.  Now a member of the A-List and Violent Femmes with Colleen, it’s only a fair bet that Arabella’s best days are ahead of her… provided she doesn’t end up in jail.

#49- ALYSSA FOXWORTH (6 points)

The Good: Alyssa managed to make the finals of the Second Chase for the Crown, doing so by knocking out then-tag partner Eileen Amaro to steal a pinfall on Sarah Richardson.

The Bad: Alyssa’s third round in Future Shock 4 turned out to be her last, as she never even made it into the arena for her match- Arabella caught her backstate, and left her in a puddle of blood.  Ironically, the two would later (at least grudgingly) reconcile, joining forces in the A-List.

The sister-in-law-in-waiting of our illustrioius owner Samantha Star, big things were expected of Alyssa when she joined the fourth season of Future Shock.  For the most part, those big things haven’t happened.  After winning the scandalous second round in the competition, Alyssa was subsequently bounced just a couple weeks later, and save for pissing Eileen Amaro off, has been a minimal factor.  So long as Alyssa relies on her wallet instead of her wits, don’t expect this trend to change.

#47 (tie)- SUMMER (7 points)

The Good: In truth, it would be her pinning of Alysson Gardner at Violent Night, but Summer’s high point thus far is coming up in just a couple days, when she faces Lumina Ferrari in a No Surrender qualifier, which would mean she’d be competing for a title in just her third match in.

The Bad: Got run down by Starla McCloud after her second win on Velocity, something that could contain major implications should Summer qualify for the No Surrender match.

There’s definitely a trend here in the lower reaches of the rankings- young, up and coming women who just simply haven’t managed to have the time to rise any higher.  Summer’s one of those that should be breaking out of the mold very quickly, especially if she can beat Lumina Ferrari in the first match of 2012.

#47 (tie)- WHITLEY MERCER (7 points)

The Good: With her partner Gretchen Sanders, beat Twisted Path.

The Bad: Dude, I just said beating Twisted Path was her finest hour.  That should say enough.

For much of 2011, Whitley was considered a strong up and comer who was just bound to turn the corner to greatness.  It never happened, and barely a soul batted an eye when she disappeared in late August.  At least until the bitch showed up at New Years Retribution and attacked me, and action that’s going to ensure that her 2012 is going to be even bleaker than her 2011.

#46- JENNA MCKINLEY (9 points)

The Good: Showed great promise in her debut win over Destiny Loveheart

The Bad: Not quite as promising in her subsequent beatdown at the hands of Raven Wicked

Jenna entered the FFW in early-May, and was quickly tagged as an up and comer in the Ultraviolence Division.  Unfortunately, after a tough loss to Raven at Conviction, Jenna never really amounted to much, and left the FFW shortly thereafter.

#45- ARIEL SHADOWS (10 points)

The Good: Beat Traci Loveheart, despite the blatant and rampant interference of Victoria Summers

The Bad: After losing to Crystal Hilton, pulled off a more spectacular post-match tantrum than Crystal Hilton’s EVER done.

Ariel entered FFW as Wendy Briese’s good friend, and was considered to be in line for some fairly big things initially.  But after a tough loss to Crystal Hilton, Ariel melted down, turning on her friend, and pretty much all but quitting FFW on the spot.  She did last one more match- a lame duck performance at Conviction, before departing for parts elsewhere.

#44- GRETCHEN SANDERS (11 points)

The Good: At Conviction, Gretchen was saddled with about the worst possible team she could get- Destiny Loveheart, and a Ariel Shadows who had already poured the gasoline on her bridge with FFW, and was in the process of lighting the match.  Against the team of Wendy, Crystal Hilton, and Kassandra, Gretchen managed to more than hold her own, earning her much respect.

The Bad: If the first Chase for the Crown was her high point, the second was certainly her low.  Gretchen showed none of the tenacity that she had shown back in May, and took the pin to eliminate her team.  Oh, and afterwards, Sophia Black attacked her, damn near killing her and ending her career.

The better (albeit less serious) half of the Pwn3d! tag team, Gretchen’s FFW run was plagued by injuries, first a foot injury just as Pwn3d! seemed to be picking up steam, and then a neck injury in her very first match back thanks to the machinations of Sophia Black.  A sad story- Gretchen did have potential, but it just wasn’t in the cards.

#43- LUMINA FERRARI (12 points)

The Good: Won her debut match against Rebbecca Valentine

The Bad: After that, it’s kind of been all downhill from there, although the lowlight certainly was her and mentor Johnny Moxie taking on Rose Jenkins in a handicapped match, and finding Rose beating them at their own game.

Lumina has spent the better part of the past 9 months being a Femme Fatale on the verge of breaking out.  That hasn’t happen, and the reltatively light schedule she works hasn’t really helped her get over that hump.  After being stunned by Kassandra in a No Surrender qualifier, she kicks of 2012 with a chance to get back to Cold Blooded, but against Summer… I wouldn’t hold my breath.

#41 (tie)- KARA HARRINGTON (13 points)

The Good: Not sure which was cooler to watch- her victory over Crystal Hate, her her Halloween costume, which was, in fact, Crystal Hate.

The Bad: Has done absolutely nothing since then. 

Kara seems to have this nasty habit of showing up, wrestling one match, and completely disappearing for months at a time.  A shame too, since those sparse matches are generally wins, but I guess when you’re as well-rested as Kara tends to be, it proves an advantage.

#41 (tie)- JO MCFARLANE (13 points)

The Good: Won the Pick Your Poison match at Unstoppable in dramatic fashion, earning her much acclaim.

The Bad: Has serious trouble when there’s less than five other people in the ring.

The much touted sister of Valerie Belmont, Jo’s foray into Femme Fatale Wrestling was less than auspicious, when she found herself getting eliminated in the very first round of the Future Shock 3 competition.  While she’s done a decent job of proving initial accusations of her apathy wrong, Jo’s still struggled throughout her FFW tenure.  Her two biggest wins thus far have come in clusterfucks, where she was able to fly under the radar, and spring a surprise at the end.  .

#40- HANNA ELLIOT (15 points)

The Good: Pulled off a shocking upset of Tara Thunder just one match before Tara claimed the Evolution Title.

The Bad: There’s a very good reason that was considered a shocking upset.

On-the-job training can generally lead to some embarrassing moments, and Hanna Elliot is no exception.  Despite her spectacular knocking off of Arabella in the bikini joust, and her upset of Tara Thunder, Hanna is as green as they come, and still learning this business.  That means there’s a lot of room for improvement where she’s concerned, so expect her to make great strides in 2012 as she gains experience.

#39- IGNIS (20 points)

The Good: As a member of Bounce & Pounce, beat the Eternal Flame to put herself in line for a future tag title shot.

The Bad: Bounced from a match, and ultimately Future Shock, by getting disqualified for breaking up a pin.  Score one for Alvin Shepherd.

The sister of the highly touted Undine (and the not quite as highly touted Lightning), the vast majority of Iggy’s success has come alongside her friend and partner Hayley Dark.  That can continue should Bounce & Pounce upend Pink, Inc to claim the tag belts at Cold Blooded. 

#38- SAMANTHA STAR (23 points)

The Good: Single handedly used her political machinations to completely and utterly destroy Team SVW at Conviction, a move so thoroughly dominating that SVW’s owner lost all faith in himself and sold the company.  Even though THAT is why Anthony Gambini is now my boss, still epic.

The Bad: Called latest handpicked cartel of minions the “A-List”, despite the fact that 75% of them are anything but.

I think all in all, our owner had a pretty illustrious 2011.  From the War Games screw job to beating up Nina Astral’s midget to the absolute shocking betrayal and casting out of Isabella Pazzini, Samantha’s been a busy girl, always exercising her power in brutally effective ways.  Doubt any of that is going to change in 2012.

#36 (tie)- AMY (24 points)

The Good: Was quite the shock when she climbed out of the Elimination Chamber and presented herself in front of Isabella and Scarlett, announcing her return to FFW.

The Bad: Wasn’t a shock at all when she was the first to go in the Elimination Chamber, and was promptly fired by Samantha about four seconds later.

Being the first ever FFW Champion, Amy provided a definite nostalgia factor to longtime fans of FFW when she stepped out of the Chamber in early June.  But by July, the nostalgia had run out, and fans were more than happy to see her ride off into the sunset after Unstoppable II.  She’s now in SVW, her hiring standing as proof that Anthony Gambini is really truly trying to kill the company.

#36 (tie)- ALYSON SUMMERS (24 points)

The Good: Won the third season of Future Shock.

The Bad: Provided pure and simple proof that the winner of Future Shock is not always the best wrestler in the season.  Or anywhere close to being so.

People wonder why I don’t run the Future Shock Therapy section of my column anymore?  Well, you can owe it all to this young lady, as each and every round she advanced in Future Shock killed my faith in the competition more and more.  In fact, it seemed to me that even the FFW brass were ready to wash their hands of this travesty, especially when Alyson wasted her prize (a match against any member of the FFW roster) on Sophia Black.  Luckily, there was one woman- the brave, spunky Casey Atherton, who dared to call this charade for what it was, and after proving Summers inferior to her at every twist and turn, the hapless Alyson angrily rode off into the sunset.

#35- REBBECCA VALENTINE (25 points)

The Good: With Katherine Stryfe, won the Unity Tag Team Championships, enjoying a fairly decent reign.

The Bad: Has struggled horrendously in singles matches.

It really makes no sense.  There’s no denying that when it came to the Eternal Flame, Rebbecca actually managed to somewhat hold her own in that ring.  She picked up several of the team’s biggest falls, and hasn’t exactly been a burden on Kat.  Yet, you take Stryfe out of her corner, and Valentine completely and utterly falls apart, to the point that even my expertise can’t come up with an explanation.

#34- QUEEN MACHINE (29 points)

The Good: Currently undefeated, including a great momentum-building win over Emma McIntyre

The Bad: Hasn’t had a chance to prove herself against true top-level competition… yet.

Ever since she made her debut in FFW, Jenny’s made it clear that she wants one thing- Kaitlynn Stryfe.  (Actually, in truth, she wants Alexander Stryfe back in bed again, but from a wrestling standpoint, that means kicking Kitty’s ass).  She’ll finally get what she wants at Cold Blooded.

#33- KASSANDRA (30 points)

The Good: In the six-femme tag match at the anniversary show, made Robbyn Helmsley submit.

The Bad: Had several opportunities to turn the corner and make it to the next level, but couldn’t capitalize on any of them.

Kassandra is living proof that you don’t have to win every match you’re in to be enjoyable.  After all, there aren’t too many wrestlers out there willing to travel back in time.  Kassandra’s put on a great showing against some world-class competition, but ultimately seems to come up short just about every time.  With her facing an injury now, it could be a bit before she manage to get back on the horse.

#32- DESIRAE KAIN (36 points)

The Good: Won Season Four of Future Shock, then capitalized on that to form Pink, Inc. and win the tag titles.

The Bad: Lost to Casey Atherton, who promptly took her Season 4 Championship trophy.

Towards the end of 2011, no woman flew under the radar more then Desirae Kain, and not coincidentally, few women picked up as many accolades in as short amount of time.  No one gave her a chance to win Future Shock… she did, upsetting Arabella de Rossi in the finals.  No one thought she and Arianna could win gold, they did, over the Eternal Flame.  And no one saw her winning the Chase for the Crown either, but she did as well, holding off Eileen Amaro.  So now comes the question- can Desirae keep this success up, now that people are going to actually see her coming?  I wouldn’t bet against it.

#31- SHANE SANDERS (38 points)

The Good: Defeated Colleen at Violent Night in what was likely the biggest upset of the year.

The Bad: Lost to Rori Snyder.  Twice.

2011 was a frustrating one for the girl who’s “Pretty Like a Car Crash”.  She returned to much fanfare against Rori Snyder at Conviction… and found herself on the bad end of all kinds of bullshit.  She’d get her rematch at Unstoppable, only for the shenanigans to cost her again.  And while both Rori matches were bullshit of the highest degree, Shane couldn’t quite avoid getting stamped with the ‘underachiever’ label, resulting in her taking some time off.  It paid off dividends- at Violent Night, Shane shocked the world when she pinned Colleen in the ring.  Unfortunately, the  Franchise isn’t taking it lying down (although she did at the time!), and there will be a rematch at Cold Blooded.  If Shane pulls it off again, it should prove as a launching point to a VERY profitable 2012.

#30- ANASTACIA BALDWIN (40 points)

The Good: Kept the Power Trip in check, enabling Scarlett Kincaid to bring home the bacon at Full Frontal.

The Bad: Technically only had one match.

Had I known when I wrote my first column what I know now, that Anastacia wasn’t really a full-time member of the FFW roster, and was just making a couple guest appearances, I probably wouldn’t have ranked her sixth in the inaugural list.  But I did, so she’s here.  To be fair though, that trashing of Rose Astral (and the corresponding epic promo that went along with it), is well worth the forty points.

#29- BELLADONNA (42 points)

The Good: Held the television championship until Conviction.

The Bad: Went on the mother of all losing streaks.

Trixie Divine is living proof how quickly fortunes change in professional wrestling.  At one point, Belladonna was a top-10 wrestler, undefeated and holding the Television Championship.  In just a short span, she lost her title, lost her tag partner Hayley Dark, lost about seven matches in a row, lost her girlfriend, and eventually lost her job.  Personally, I take credit for some of that.  I mean, had she not come after me because I had the audacity to ridicule Robbyn Helmsley’s annoying obsession with her, she might still be someone around these parts, and not a punchline.

#27 (tie)- CASEY ATHERTON (49 points)

The Good: Has claimed the Season Three and Season Four future shock titles, along with a few other accolades (and a husband) to boot.

The Bad: None of these accomplishments are actually real.

Who’d have thought that the face of delusion would be such an attractive one?  Casey entered Future Shock a nervous rookie, the personal assistant of Starla McCloud.  Since that time, she’s pretty much managed to lie, cheat, and steal her way into anything she’s wanted.  Obviously, people like Desirae Kain may have a thing or two to say about Atherton’s ‘accomplishments’, but let’s be honest, at least she keeps people on their toes!

#27 (tie)- CRYSTAL HATE (49 points)

The Good: Pulled off a nice win over Jo McFarlane at Unstoppable to get her into serious consideration.

The Bad: Came up short in potential career defining matches against Stacey Mackenzie and Sophie Richards

We’re still waiting for Crystal to truly turn the corner here in FFW, but truth be told, the wait isn’t exactly a bad one.  Crystal is one of the most unique women to grace the Femme Fatale roster, and between her sadistic tendencies, and the even more sadistic ones of her many, MANY sisters, there’s hardly ever a dull moment when this vixen is around!

Woo hoo, top 25! (well, 26, damn ties)  Just for a note, here, due to the length of this column, this took several days to write, and the entries from hereafter were written AFTER the January 5 Velocity.

#25 (tie)- HAYLEY DARK (52 points)

The Good: Resigning her position in the Cherrybombs as Belladonna’s partner.  Seriously, that was beautiful.

The Bad: Being completely demolished by Crystal Hate’s Ceremony of Omens off a ladder at Unstoppable.  That was beautiful too, although I don’t think Hayley would think so.

While “The Boing Machine” is hardly the most feared nickname in the industry, it certainly is a fitting one for the always hyper, always energetic Hayley Dark.  Spending much of her early time here being overlooked thanks to the selfish machinations of tag partner Belladonna, Hayley finally broke out on her own at Conviction (or at least into a tag partnership with the much more respectful Ignis).  Still, respect has been hard to come by, given that B&P is just coming off of another long layoff.  Considering they still have dibs on the tag titles at Cold Blooded, I’m not entirely convinced they minded.

#25 (tie)- KELLY MCGUFFIN (52 points)

The Good: Currently undefeated…

The Bad: ..on hardly the most demanding schedule.

It says a lot about the A-List that of the fifty-something roster members off FFW who were not included in that “Elite” organization, exactly one of them aspires to be a part of it.  This is that one, Kelly McGuffin, the young rookie former circus performer who’s looking to be every bit as unscrupulous as her notorious father.  And, she’s going to get her chance at Cold Blooded, when she faces Jo McFarlane.  Considering she’s already beaten Jo once, the odds are good.  Good for her.

#24- EMMA MCINTYRE (59 points)

The Good: Pulled off a nice win over Robbyn Helmsley in the first round of the Femme For All

The Bad: Hasn’t been anywhere even close to being in the form she was when she won the title back in 2010

Emma McIntyre returned to the FFW at Unstoppable, and the first bit we saw of her was an absolute destruction at the hands of Traci Loveheart.  But from there, Emma truly struggled, never really getting off the ground, save for a brilliant performance against Robbyn Helmsley.  Still, she’s one of the chief factors in the anti-A-List coalition, and has the talent and knowhow to make 2012 a year more to her liking.

#23- CHARLOTTE GAGE (60 points)

The Good: Had a great run at the Telelvision title, ultimately being screwed by a vengeful Payton St. Pierre

The Bad: Never really recovered after the Danger Queens left Unstoppable disappointed and without the tag titles.

Charlotte Gage’s 2011 is definitely a tale of two halves.  The first half, Charlie (and to some extent, her partner Kassandra), were always in the mix, running hard.  The second half however, have seen the Danger Queens seemingly miss a step, as they struggle more and more to remain relevant in the ever-growling FFW Unity Tag picture.  Here’s hoping these two can turn it around for a good 2012!

#22- DELILAH (68 points)

The Good: Defeated the Eternal Flame to claim the vacant FFW Unity Tag Team Titles at Conviction.

The Bad: Promptly lost those exact same belts on Breaking Point three weeks later… in what turned out to be Angelic S&D’s last match.

There aren’t too many FFW stars that left a bad “what could have been” taste in your mouth like the shooting stars that were Angelic Cindy.  Delilah, the Libertine, was the more unorthodox of the two, but she certainly managed to hold her own.  The 2011 tag team picture would likely have been much different had these two sisters stuck around.

#21- RORI SNYDER (72 points)

The Good: Believe it or not, from her loss to Wendy Briese in early May, until her release in September, Rori was undefeated in singles competition. 

The Bad: It’s probably not as hard to believe that not a single one of those wins came legally.  And when I say legally, I meant she violated the actual law, not just the ring rules.

You have your loved wrestlers.  You have your hated wrestlers.  But in all my years covering this sport, you’d be hard pressed to find a more unlikeable woman than Lorelai Snyder-Magnussen.  At first appearing to be little more than a shy, down-home girl that was very vanilla in the way of wrestling talent, Rori managed to transform herself into a conniving lunatic, hell bent on not just the defeat, not just the injury, but the absolute annihilation of her enemies- although still fairly vanilla in the wrestling category.  Here’s all you need to know about Rori- how many wrestlers have been fired from FFW for being too damned violent?

#20- EILEEN AMARO (75 points)

The Good: Has pulled off one of the fastest rises to prominence I’ve yet to see in FFW, thanks largely in part to a tremendous victory over Rose Jenkins

The Bad: Upset by Desirae Kain in the final round of the Second Chase for the Crown, costing her a shot at the television title.

In just her second match in the company, Eileen faced Colleen at the first Byte This.  And while she didn’t emerge victorious, she definitely proved that she would be a force to be reckoned with in the coming months.  Eileen hasn’t disappointed, pulling off huge win after huge win, even earning herself the “One to watch in 2012” label.  It’s a good thing to be tagged with, and one that Eileen should have no problem proving she deserved in the new year.

#19- PAYTON ST. PIERRE (76 points)

The Good: Beat Sophie Richards to win the Television Championship.

The Bad: Lost Future Shock finale to Sophie Richards.  And the television title back to Sophie Richards.  And her dignity thanks to Sophie Richards.  Oh, and Sophie Richards took her credibility.  To put it simply, Sophie Richards drank her milkshake.

Before Kelly McGuffin, there was Payton St. Pierre, who took being an irritating twat to the next f’ing level.  And while she did manage to throw a fireball at Sophie Richards and pull off a victory, the fact was, her career was definied by their rivalry, and how dominant Sophie was throughout.  Needless to say, after this thrashing, Samantha was more than happy to trade up her personal assistant when she got the chance.  Now in SVW, which is further proof that Anthony Gambini is trying to kill that company.

#18- SELINA (77 points)

The Good: Remember what I said about Delilah?  Well… here’s her partner.

The Bad: Remember what I said about Delilah?  Well… here’s her partner.

The other half of Angelic S&D, most of what can be said was already said under Delilah’s entry, but the Archangel Selina did have a bit of a better singles record, which lands her a bit higher on the list.  As loaded as the Unity division is at the moment, should S&D ever return to FFW, you can bet that everyone is going to be wary of facing this duo!

#17- UNDINE (92 points)

The Good: Beat Katherine Stryfe… because Kat got high, because Kat got high, because Kat got high.

The Bad: Had an awful streak of bad luck to conclude her FFW career.

Undine was one of those wrestlers that I got to cover only towards the end of her Halcyon days, although there was no denying that she was one of the best the Evolution division had to offer, even holding the championship.  But she struggled towards the end, first a disappointing loss to Colleen, followed by a brutal beatdown at the hands of a returning Tara Thunder.  After a failed tag team attempt with Alyson Summers (although to be fair, it was because it was with Alyson Summers), ‘Diney decided that maybe a change of scenery was in order.  She can now be found over in SVW, angrily tweeting at anyone who dare criticizes her beloved Vincent Belmont.

#16- STARLA MCCLOUD (108 points)

The Good: Starla’s proven herself a vicious tactician, getting big wins over the likes of Isabella Pazzini.

The Bad: There’s only two wrestlers that were twice dropped from the Power-X rankings due to inactivity.  The other was Traci Loveheart.

Say what you will about Starla’s rather sparse schedule, but there’s no denying that Starla is more than happy to pick and choose her moments, and she’s damn good at doing that.  Her last couple of matches against Isabella Pazzini were things of infamy, first the bullshit contest that finally got the corrupt Alvin Shepherd fired, and then the rematch, which just happened at the first FFW show of 2012.  If you didn’t see the chaos that ended this match, you need to find Hulu… and fast.

#15- VALERIE BELMONT (112 points)

The Good: While she didn’t quite Save FFW like she was billed to upon her return, Val did produce some memorable moments- most specifically a masterful victory over a very hard-charging Robbyn Helmsley

The Bad: FLASH KICK!

Val’s 2011 tenure in FFW only lasted four months, but it was a four unforgettable months as she put on some of the most memorable matches seen anywhere, whether against Robbyn Helmsley, Kaitlynn Stryfe, or her participation in the Elmination Chamber.  Val’s out for the time being thanks to having a bun in the oven, but when, and if she comes back, it’d be hard not to see her challenging for the FFW Championship again.

#14- TARA THUNDER (148 points)

The Good: Beat Crystal Hilton for a second time to claim the Evolution Championship, a title she currently holds.

The Bad: Took that stunning roll-up loss to Hanna Elliot- which has now been thoroughly avenged.

For a bit of Power-X trivia, Tara holds the highest single jump in the rankings FFW history,

an eighteen spot hike after her first win over Hilton at Unstoppable.  Since then, Tara’s been as equally awesome to watch inside the ring as annoying to listen to outside of it.  Still, she’s finally gotten herself the Evolution Championship, and doesn’t seem to be wanting to let it go anytime soon.

#13- ROSE JENKINS (160 points)

The Good: Rose has been a very effective “Problem Solver” for Samantha, solving such problems as Nina Astral and Johnny Moxie.  If only Samantha had stuck her on Sophia Black before firing her…

The Bad: In the amount of time it took you to read this sentence, Camilla Pazzini punked Rose again.  Twice.

The Bad Black Behemoth Bulldozer from Brooklyn came into the FFW for one purpose- to murder anyone Samantha tells her too.  And while Rose has been damned effective in her role, there’s no denying that she’s had a few personal issues as well, the upset-minded Eileen Amaro, and, much more irritatingly, Camilla Pazzini, who’s yet managed to be one step ahead of her.  Rose isn’t one to take humiliation lightly, so you can bet when she finally catches up to Chunks, there will be hell to pay.

#12- RAVEN WICKED (164 points)

The Good: You know what, forget it.  Screw Elliot over Thunder, Raven beating Camilla Pazzini in the Prison of Punishment at Unstoppable was the Upset of the Year.

The Bad: Cammie got revenge for that loss about six times over already

To say Raven is a “Ultraviolence Specialist” is something of an understatement- you’ll rarely see the girl in anything else.  And while she hasn’t quite equaled the reigning Queen of the division yet, Raven hasn’t shown herself to mind.  She’s happy taking punishment as well as giving it, so just so long as she’s in that ring, she’s having fun.  And so long as she keeps giving the fans some blood to cheer for, win or lose, she’ll keep getting those matches.

#11- ROBBYN HELMSLEY (173 points)

The Good: Gave an eye-opening effort in the War Games match at Conviction, garnering the support of many of the FFW Faithful.  Also has a win over Katherine Stryfe.

The Bad: Had the mental toughness of a watermelon, which she used as a crutch for the half-dozen or so submission losses she took.

There’s no denying that Robbyn Helmsley was about as annoying as you can get (especially when she was spouting off about whoever her flavor-of-the-month girlfriend was at the time).   But beneath those irritating screeches and mind-numbing comments was actually a fairly decent wrestler, one who opened some eyes with gutsy performances particularily against Valerie Belmont and Team SVW.  However, Robbyn struggled at times as well, especially against submissionists.  Even though she was released from FFW in order to deal with some emotional issues.  (Her words, and who the fuck knew that Robbyn Helmsley had emotional problems?), the tenure of Supergirl is one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Top ten!  Who’s it gonna be?  Actually, you should already know who through process of elimination.  Still…

#10- SOPHIE RICHARDS (209 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Took a belt that was held by Sophia Black, Michelle Taylor, and Belladonna, and actually made it respectable.

The Bad: Jeopardized all that respectability by losing the title to Payton St. Pierre.  Thank God she gained it back.

The first of our “Wire-to-wire” girls, seven ladies who managed to be in the top 25 of every single Power X to date.  Sophie has been the Television champion for most of that time, and has been a very fighting champion to boot, shooting down challenges from the likes of Tabatha Belmont, Crystal Hate, Charlotte Gage, and several others.  I’m not sure who holds the record for most successful title defenses, but it may very well be her.  The only question at this point is when Sophie is going to ‘outgrow’ her current belt, and move on towards more prestigious gold.  Because, despite what some might say, the Television title is NOT the World title.

#9- STACEY MACKENZIE (227 Points)

The Good: You mean other than the fact that she has a perfect FFW record at 11-0, and is the current FFW Champion?

The Bad: Wait… she’s been in FFW for almost a year, and she ONLY has eleven matches? 

To many, it was a question of “when” and not “if” Stacey would actually climb the mountain and become the FFW Champion, but Stacey fulfilled her destiny by knocking off Colleen in an epic Femme For All finals, then beating Katherine Stryfe at Violent Night.  To anyone wondering why the current champion is only ninth- keep in mind that these rankings were for the entire year, and Stacey only sparsely competed in FFW until the Femme For All.

#8- CRYSTAL HILTON (233 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Became Evolution Champion by defeating Wendy Briese in a two out of three falls match at Sin & Sacrifice.

The Bad: Her in-ring performance is as unstable as her mental capacity, seemingly alternating between groundbreaking wins and completely uninspired defeats.

With her latest meltdown involving spellbooks, backstage attacks, and no doubt several hundred broken mirrors, Crystal Hilton has turned herself into FFW’s own one-woman version of TMZ.  The oddest thing about it all is that when she quits with the shrill theatrics, and actually wrestles, Hilton’s a damn good competitor.  But that never seems to be the Hilton way, she likes things dramatic, and almost painfully awkward and embarrassing to watch.  Far from me to complain- everyone loves a good trainwreck!

#7- WENDY BRIESE (255 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Beating Tara Thunder and Colleen (kinda) to win the Evolution title.

The Bad: It’s never good to find yourself tied with Michelle Taylor for a dubious record.  But Wendy’s mere fourteen day stint with the Evolution title gets her that distinction.

Since Wendy arrived in FFW, she’s proven herself to be one of the toughest outs any wrestler could possibly get as an opponent.  Still, unlike most of the top ten, Wendy lacks that one shining moment that you can just sink your teeth into- even her title win was tainted by Colleen walkout.  Wendy enters 2012 with the intent that this is the year she gets over the hump, and finally silences her critics.

#5 (tie)- KATHERINE STRYFE (282 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Not only did she beat Kaitlynn Stryfe to become the FFW Champion, she also successfully retained against Kitty.

The Bad: Not quite as successful against Undine, Robbyn Helmsley, Angelic S&D, Pink Inc.  Crystal Hilton, Camilla Pazzini…

From her smoking (HA!) dethroning as the Ultraviolence Champion to her defeat of Kaitlynn Stryfe at Sin & Sacrifice, it’s been a rollercoaster year for The Nightmare.  Still, for all the crap I gave her, the fact of the matter is that, for two months, Katherine Stryfe was the reigning queen of FFW.  Now the question is, can she get herself back there, as the top of the pile in FFW gets more and more crowded?

#5 (tie)- ISABELLA PAZZINI (282 points)

The Good: Never far from the FFW Title during the first half of 2011, and garnered a reputation as the most feared woman backstage.

The Bad: I think Mark Horton said it best: “WHAT THE FUCK?  SAMANTHA JUST CRACKED HER BEST FRIEND’S SKULL!”

Like several others, 2011 was a tale of two halves for the Meanie Pazzini.   First half, Isabella was THE Queen Bitch of FFW, terrorizing several members of the locker room, and dominating all competition (save for Scarlett Kincaid).   After her falling out with Samantha at Unstoppable, Isabella became a much more likeable individual- although not quite as feared in the ring.  This might be due to Samantha’s machinations to keep Pazzini out of the ring as much as possible, save for the occasional doomed-to-fail match against one of her A-Listers.  Still, anyone with eyes can see that Pazzini isn’t going to be held down for long.

#4- KAITLYNN STRYFE (302 points)

The Good: Claimed the FFW Championship to cap off a monster winning streak that tore through the ranks of the FFW.

The Bad: Finished the year by losing her last three major matches.

Bitchy and Beautiful would be the best way to describe Kaitlynn Stryfe, who is as known for her catty attitude as she is her in ring prowess.  Her finest moment was Unstoppable, of course, when she played Katherine Stryfe like a fiddle, as the two conspired through the eliminations of Amy, Isabella, and Valerie Belmont, only for Kitty to leave Katherine for dead while claiming the title for herself.  Of course, that may have come back to haunt her, as Katherine did beat Kitty twice in one on one confrontations, knocking her out of the FFW Title picture (for now, at least)

#3- CAMILLA PAZZINI (305 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Chunks has established herself as the Queen of Ultraviolence, but she also has some fine wins against non UV competitors, namely Colleen and Crysal Hilton.

The Bad: You knew what this one was gonna be- Prison of Punishment.  Unstoppable.  New Champion.  Raven Wicked.

Considering her competition, winning FFW’s Award for Most Disliked was a small surprise, but it was one of the few things Chunks was in all year that she wasn’t favored in.  Her annoying tendencies to say anything- regardless of how little fact it’s based in- aside, there’s no denying that Camilla is one of the fiercest, most decorated wrestlers in all of FFW.  The question for Chunks in 2012… is she going to make a run at the big title this year?  Or is she happy with the UV belt around her waist?

#2- COLLEEN (327 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Held the Evolution Championship for six months, earned honors as FFW Femme Fatale of the Year

The Bad: Heartbreaking loss to Stacey Mackenzie in the Femme For All Finals, followed by a letdown against Shane Sanders was not how Colleen wanted to end her FFW Year

Whether or not she is the true Franchise of FFW is very much up for debate, but on a consistent week to week basis, there might not be anyone better than Ms. Harmon.  All she needs now is to take that final leap to the top of the mountain.  Of course, as long as Colleen is focused more on reminding us how miserable her life used to be instead of showing us what a great wrestler she is, most will be less than anticipatory of her taking that last step.

And now, here we are.  The number one wrestler on the year 2011.  And the winner is… (like you haven’t already figured it out)

#1- SCARLETT KINCAID (359 points- WIRE TO WIRE)

The Good: Well, there was that FFW Championship.  And the fact that she was the most Beloved Wrestler of 2011 in FFW.

The Bad: Should never, ever, EVER leap from anything.  Ever.  Again.

Yeah, I know… 7400 words of my bullshit, and we get the least surprising #1 ranking ever.  I mean, who else could it be?  Scarlett wasn’t just the most popular wrestler of 2011, she was THE face of FFW.  No one got the fan’s going more.  No one inspired people more with their courageous comeback after being so horribly injured at Sin & Sacrifice.  And nobody is in a better position to become the first ever two-time FFW Champion than Kincaid.  So a big congratulations to Scarlett, your 2011 Power X-Traveganza #1 Femme Fatale!

AWARDS ROUNDUP!

So, as a bonus feature, before we go… well, we’ve done the congolomorate rankings for the year.  But it seems that the true highlight of the column tends to be the Awards, and the guest presentations we get every week.  And I’m insanely grateful for the multitude of FFW personalities who are willing to share their thoughts time and again.  So, to close us out, here’s a quick recap of all the awards that have been handed out!

MAY 1, 2011

Presenter: Daniel Pollaski

Match of the Week: Stacey Mackenzie vs. Belladonna

Winner of the Week: Stacey Mackenzie

Loser of the Week: Belladonna

Douchebag of the Week: Alvin Shepherd, Melinda Davies, Jennifer Stringer

MAY 15, 2011

Presenter: Daniel Pollaski

Match of the Week: Valerie Belmont vs. Robbyn Helmsley

Winners of the Week: Kaitlynn Stryfe & Valerie Belmont

Loser of the Week: Katherine Stryfe

Douchebag of the Week: Payton St. Pierre

MAY 29, 2011

Presenter: Daniel Pollaski

Match of the Week: Kaitlynn Stryfe vs. Valerie Belmont (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Samantha Star

Loser of the Week: Nicholas Flaherty

Douchebag of the Week: Belladonna

JUNE 19, 2011

Presenter: Sophie Richards

Match of the Week: FFW CHAMPIONSHIP: Scarlett Kincaid vs. Isabella Pazzini

Winner of the Week: The Eternal Flame

Loser of the Week: Belladonna (2^nd)

Douchebag of the Week: Payton St. Pierre (2^nd)

JULY 4, 2011

Presenter: Samantha Star

Match of the Week: LAST WOMAN STANDING: Camilla Pazzini vs. Colleen

Winner of the Week: Isabella Pazzini

Loser of the Week: Nina Astral

Douchebag of the Week: Crystal Hilton

JULY 18, 2011

Presenter: Wolf Ramsey

Match of the Week: CHASE FOR THE CROWN FINALS: Wendy Briese vs. Crystal Hilton

Winner of the Week: Payton St. Pierre

Loser of the Week: Traci Loveheart

Douchebag of the Week: Rori Snyder

AUGUST 6, 2011

Presenter: Rori Snyder

Match of the Week: Rori Snyder vs. Colleen (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Colleen

Loser of the Week: Robbyn Helmsley & Scarlett Kincaid

Douchebag of the Week: Heavensent & Hellbound (Rori Snyder: 2^nd)

AUGUST 30, 2011

Presenter: Jo McFarlane

Match of the Week: Colleen (3^rd) vs. Kaitlynn Stryfe (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Rose Jenkins

Loser of the Week: Whitley Mercer

Douchebag of the Week: Emma McIntyre

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Presenter: Isabella Pazzini

Match of the Week: TABLES MATCH: Isabella Pazzini (2^nd) vs. Robbyn Helmsley (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Wendy Briese

Loser of the Week: Charity Deas

Douchebag of the Week: Colleen

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

Presenter: Johnny Moxie

Match of the Week: FFW EVOLUTION CHAMPIONSHIP & FEMME FOR ALL FIRST ROUND, TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS: Wendy Briese (2^nd) vs. Crystal Hilton (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Katherine Stryfe (2^nd)

Loser of the Week: Emma McIntyre

Douchebag of the Week: Sophia Black

OCTOBER 17, 2011

Presenter: Katherine Stryfe

Match of the Week: BYTE THIS BATTLE ROYAL: Colleen (4^th) vs. Charity Deas vs. Casey Atherton vs. Rose Jenkins vs. Wendy Briese (3^rd) vs. Emma McIntyre vs. Eileen Amaro vs. Madison Knight vs. Shane Sanders vs. Allison Deas

Winners of the Week: Bounce & Pounce

Loser of the Week: Robbyn Helmsley (2^nd)

Douchebag of the week: Kaitlynn Stryfe

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

Presenter: Leander Apollo

Match of the Week: FFW CHAMPIONSHIP: Katherine Stryfe vs. Katilynn Stryfe (3^rd)

Winners of the Week: Pink, Inc.

Loser of the Week: Charity Deas (2^nd)

Douchebag of the Week: Camilla Pazzini

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Presenter: Scarlett Kincaid

Match of the Week: Colleen (5^th) vs. Stacey Mackenzie (2^nd)

Winner of the Week: Hanna Elliot

Loser of the Week: Colleen

Douchebag of the Week: Casey Atherton

DECEMBER 1, 2011

Presenter: Alysson Gardner

Match of the Week: Camilla Pazzini (2^nd) vs. Rose Jenkins vs. Raven Wicked

Winner of the Week: Stacey Mackenzie (2^nd)

Loser of the Week: Alysson Gardner

Douchebag of the Week: Sophia Black (2^nd)

JANUARY 1, 2011

Presenter: Mark Horton

Match of the Week: Colleen (6^th) vs. Chris Strike

Winner of the Week: Sophie Richards

Loser of the Week: Johnny Moxie

Douchebag of the Week: Anthony Gambini

That would mean for Match Maker of the Year, Colleen leads the pack with a whopping SIX wins.  The Winningest Winners are Katherine Stryfe and Stacey Mackenzie, each with two.  The Losers of Losers are  Belladonna, Robbyn Helmsley, and Charity Deas, all with two.  And the Biggest Douchebags are Rori Snyder, Payton St. Pierre, and Sophia Black, also with two.

And that does it, guys!  I had a blast covering Femme Fatale Wrestling through all of 2011, and I can only imagine just how much better 2012 is going to be (I think that first Velocity was just a small taste of what we’re about to be in for!)  And I appreciate the FFW Faithful allowing the Power-X to help enhance their viewing experience, as well and each and every wrestler who has taken the time to read, respond, and participate in the column.  And I hope you guys enjoyed reading this monstrosity tonight.

I’ll see you guys in a couple of weeks, as we get back to the original rankings, and we begin the final push towards the first PPV of 2012… COLD BLOODED!

Brrr!

POLLA OUT!

Daniel Pollaski is an independent wrestling columnist, SVW wrestler, and the manager of FFW star Wendy Briese.  He’d like to point out that this column is exactly 8,368 words.